Well driver



April 14, 1925,

WELL DRIVER Filed March 29, 192s Fla. 1

Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES JAMES W. POT'IS, OF GUNNISON, MISSISSIPPI.

WELL DRIVER.

Application filed March 2Q, 1923. Serial No. 628,661.

To all whom 'it may concer/a:

Be it known that I, JAMns W. Porre, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Gunnison, in the county of Bolivar and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l/Vell Drivers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in well drivers and has particular reference to an implement or device to accomplish the sinking of a pipe in the ground during the sinking of a well.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a well driver having a weighted head constructed in a manner to effectively withstand percussive force during use thereof, eliminating spreading and splitting of the driver head and protectingthe upper end of the pipe that is being driven.

Another object of the invention is to provide a metal iilling for the head of the driver having a wooden block embedded therein that tends to overcome the destructive action caused by striking the head of the driver during the sinking of a well, the metal filling having a lower section of Babbitt metal that contacts the pipe being sunk and offering the least injury thereto.

lith the above general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood the same consists of the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a well driver constructed in accordance with the present invention, the same being partly broken away and shown in section to illustrate the construction of the striking head thereof,

Fig. 2 is a top plan View,

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. l showing the wooden block insert and the metal filling enclosing the same,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 1 showing the manner of attaching the handles to the driver, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the wooden block insert for the striking head.

The driver includes a relatively long pipe section l, preferably tive feet in length and three inches in diameter, although the invention is not intended to be restricted to these measurements, the lower end thereof being outwardly flared in bell-shape as at 9., while the upper end is externally threaded yto receive a screw cap 3.

The upper head or striking end of the driver pipe l has a metallic insert in which a wooden block is embedded, the wooden block 4 being substantially of the proportions illustrated in Figs. l and 5 and of octagonal formation with a plurality of nails or spikes 5 driven in one end thereof. In forming the metallic head vfor the driver, the pipe l is inverted and the wooden block 4 inserted therein with the outer ends of the nails 5 engaging the inner face of the cap 3 spacing the outer end of the block from the cap while the flat surfaces of the octagonal block permit a free flow of molten metal therearound. With the block 4 so positioned, molten lead, preferably ten pounds thereof are poured into the pipe l and designated by the reference numeral 6, the lead completely enclosing the block and iilling the space between the outer end of the block and the cap 3 and further forming a layer over lying the inner end of the block as shown in Fig. l. Babbitt metal, approximately four pounds thereof, is then poured into the pipe section l as indicated at 7 and fuses with the lead filling 6 to form the inner striking face of the head that contacts the upper end of the pipe 8, illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. l that is being sunk.

Handles for the driver are shown in Figs. l, 2, and 4, laterally extending handle bars 9, each carrying a cross hand grip l0 upon the outer end thereof, and having a curved portion l1 at its inner end with the curved portions l1 engaging opposite sides of the pipe as shown in Fig. 4 and bolted together as at l2, a set screw 13 passing through one of the curved portions l1 and engaging the pipe for further anchoring the handles in position thereon.

In the use of the driver, the handles ll are employed for centering the driver pipel upon the pipe section 8 that is being sunk, and the upper end of the pipe 8 is engaged by the striking face 7 of Babbitt metal. By pereussively striking the cap 3 at the upper end of the driver, the pipe 8 is lowered or sunk in a step by step movement, the damaging effects of the striking force llO being greatly reduced by the ctishionin'g properties of the metallic insert offered by the Wooden block 4 and the lead and Babbit illing, thereby protecting fthe head "ofthe driver and the upper end of the pipe 8.

IVhile there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheless Lto be understood that minor changes may be made thei'ein Without departing fromthe spirit'and scope ofjthe invention as claimed. u

I-Iaving thus described the invention, I claim: Y u

`l. In a -Well driverof the typedescribed, a pipe section, handle bars carried thereby,

a. metallic insert at the upper striking end ofthe pipe section, and a Wooden block embedded inthe metallic insert.

2. In a Well driver of the type described, a pipe section,fhandle bars carried thereby, a metallic insert at the upper striking end of therpipe section, and a Wooden'block embedded Vin `the metallic insert and having means for spacing` the upper end thereof `from the pipe cap.

3. In a Well driver of the type described,

va. pipe section, handle bars carried thereby,

a metalli'cinsert at the upper lstriking end of 'the 'pipe section, a Wooden fblok ernbedded 1n the metallic insert, and a plurality 'f'n'ails projecting from the upper end of Ethe block orfspacin'gsaid end from the pipe of the :pipe section, a Wooden block embeddedin-the metallic insert, and a. plurality "of nails ,projecting from the upper end 'of the block "for spacing said4 end fro'm'thepipe cap to `peri'n'it the tip'w ot molten metal of the 'insert to xcompletely enclose the block, and said metal insert including a 'body of lead disposed at the upper endy o'i thefpip'e and completely'enclps'ing tl1e'block`ivith a lower layer of Babbitt metal.

5. jIn a `Well driver ofthe type described, e

a pipe section Vhaving a VHaredlor'ver end, a

metallic cap threadedly connectedtothe 'upper end of said pipe foi-closingthe same, an insert olf'soft metal Within said pipe engaging said cap, and a Wooden block `embeddedin said soft metal.

`In testimony WhereofI alii-X my signature.

J AMES W. PTTS 

